Reloading ammo

[bumperm]

One thing about Dillon reloading equipment is their lifetime "no BS" warranty. Besides free replacement parts for anything that breaks, you can return the equipment to Dillon and they will refurbish it for free. The warranty is not based on original owner, it covers whoever owns it now. 100%

The "professional 1050" series doesn't have the same extensive warranty on paper, but in practice Dillon still behaves in the same manner. This keeps the resale price on used Dillon equipment at a high percentage of new, as buying used conveys all the benefits of new.

I have a X650 set up for pistol calibers and a Super 1050 used exclusively (so far) for .223. Some lower volume ammo, like 45-70 are done on a single stage. I cast my own lead as well.

Oh, the Dillow primer loader, while pricey, sure makes reloading a pleasure if you get tired of the pick-up tubes.

Started by in '75 with a Lee Loader and hammer, and cast bullets in the family room . . . we didn't know any better back then, and is the reason I probably have dain bramage now.

 

[fishman]

You will like the hornady progressive. Yes it is more expensive to add new calibers and it is more complicated. But you will be able to run off a couple thousand .45 colt rounds in an afternoon if you want. That will leave free time to do other neat stuff like cast your own bullets which adds more fun to the equation. Check out starline brass if you haven't already for excellent cases by the thousand, and check out castboolits for casting and commercial cast bullet info.

 

[k0ua]

Gary, congratulations on the Hornady LnL press. I have heard good things about them, and Hornady products in general are top notch. Show some pictures when you get all set up and going. Just take your time in reloading, and you will find it a relaxing rewarding hobby, not to mention turning out a lot of good ammo.!:thumbsup:

 

[Gary Fowler]

I cant wait to get started but likely it will take a week or so for the press to arrive.

The gun show went pretty good. We sold a total of 18 guns, mostly NIB handguns but a couple of shotguns and a couple of rifles. We also signed up for the June gunshow at Hot Springs so hopefully it will go much better. I think many folks were suffering from Christmas aftershock so June might have more pocket money for buying toys.

I had been looking for a cowboy 45 LC gun and when my neighbor (reloading partner) lowered his price on a 45 Long Colt Ruger Blackhawk in stainless steel to $500, I had to say take it off the table. Since Gunbroker list them for $695, I thought it too good to pass up. It has not been fired more than 20 times. Since I had been buying all the reloading stuff, I wont have to pay him much if any when we figure up the tally for 50/50 split on costs.

My neighbor and his brother probably have more than 800 guns between them plus more ammo than they can shoot so he was selling off some .22, 9mm and .308 that he had to store in a closet because his large ammo gun safe (he has 4 of them for guns + one for just ammo) was full. I just drool every time I visit over his gun collection.

I found a brochure on an estate in Hope Arkansas the has an enormous gun collection estimated to be worth $90 million, so I just have to go see that.

 

[Soundguy]

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Soundguy, my 'hotties' are 9.3 x 62 (CZ550) and .270 Wby (Mk V). Like with my other reloading 'pets' (many) I've never approached recipe 'max' charges or velocities, or sought factory level power. Most of my old mil '98s are still in 8 x 57, and I won't shoot 8x57 or 7.62 NATO 'mil-surp' in a civilian arm. (MG ammo! corrosive primers used into the 80's, dubious accuracy) What I've learned most from reloading may be the list of apparently 'logical' things I won't do.

I'm not sure 'civilian arm' has anything to do with the issue of chambering.

if a weapon is properly setup and chambered for a round, there should be no issue.

corrosive ammo and primers? that's why you clean your guns!

 

[clemsonfor]

How many folks here do reloading of pistol ammo? Any recommendations for brand of reloading equipment to buy? I did some small time reloading back in the 1970's using a Lyman turret reloader. It was pretty easy to use loading 44 mag and 357. Now next door neighbor want to go in with me to buy a reloader and thinks a auto-progressive loader like the Dillon XL650 would be the thing to buy. We could get into reloading with all the tools on a turret press for around$500 but the Dillon is going to be more like $1500 (or more). I have looked at reviews on it and they are all great (5 star) but also some reviews on comparison with Lee vs Dillon vs Hornady auto-indexing progressive claim Hornady to be best overall in ease of use, price and performance.
I just don't know if we would really need that kind of capacity what with Dillon claiming 800 rounds per hour, reality might be 400-500, but still much more than we would need. We are both retired so time is available with hardly any limit, but money is not unlimited.

I am looking for some real experiences from owners of reloading equipment as to what we really might need. I don expect us to be shooting more than 200 total rounds per week max . We are looking to be reloading mostly 45 Long Colt cowboy loads.

i starteed with a single stage press Lee brand. ANd now i have a progressive lee 4 hole turret. I would not go any other way. Fast and easy and you can pound out the rounds. I love the reliability and simplicity of it and the ecomomy.

i load .44mag, .38/.357, 9mm , and .380

 

[the old grind]

I'm not sure 'civilian arm' has anything to do with the issue of chambering.
if a weapon is properly setup and chambered for a round, there should be no issue.

Not much worry there to me, other than which piece (many) impresses with fist sized groups at 60yd or not with MG fare, anyway. Old mils with eroded throats and rough bores, yeah (No IVMk1, '98s, 03-A3 ); hunters, rarely:thumbdown:. (M700, Mod 70, M77MkII, Brng Safari, in mil-surp calibers) JMHO, there.

corrosive ammo and primers? that's why you clean your guns!

Uh, no stranger to cleaning here, or to the various intervals (per 'x' rounds) for say a hunting trip vs a weekend of working up loads. A general caution to others less diligent than we, then?

btw: B'scoping always when cleaning do I feel quite privileged. I know when enough is enough and can thoroughly inspect/assess crown (.17 & >) or throat wear/damage (most .20 & >) at 10x before deciding "she's ready" to shoot or put away. :thumbsup:

I've also refined my potions and procedures for cleaning. Is their such a thing as a too-clean bore? Ask the guy who shoots a fouling shot when accuracy is paramount. All that said. I confess that I've hunted more than once without cleaning between a final sight check at camp/lodge and going out the following morning.

 

[Moves]

You will definitely want (need) to check out the Ammosith.com forum for info, ideas, SAFETY and friendly advice. It's devoted to the craft and a good group of people (like here).... very little flaming if at all. Hope to see you there also.
(I reload 45LC, 38 Special, 40 Cal, and 30.06 using Lee turret... at least until our govt tries to make reloading illegal.)

 

[Moves]

...sorry for typo.... it's Ammosmith.com

 

[Soundguy]

. Old mils with eroded throats and rough bores, yeah (No IVMk1, '98s, 03-A3 ); hunters, rarely

Which is why you don't use a beater gun to do target work with. You use a gun with a good bore, good muzzle crown, etc

Remember, just because you have 20 guns and 5 of them are junk, and 5 are tack drivers, doesn't mean you have to take the junk out to try to drive tacks.

right tool for the right job.

I have plenty of mausers and other originally military arsenal produced guns that will shoot as good as anything commercially produced today.

I have a carl gustaf mod 96 that's as good as a brand new cz550 when shot side by side with t he same ammo at the bench. 6.5x55 swede.

PS.. my 03A3 is a tack driver as is my garand, as is my model of 1917, as are any of the mausers i shoot, including , mostly, turks, though i do routinely shoot a 98 with a zf-41 scope on it.

Mosins are pick and choose when it comes to bore. Mostly not because of throat, but because of bore size. .. same with some SMLE's you can find bore sizes up in the .315 range.

I have 91/30's with PU scopes that , not surprisingly, shoot exceptionally well. Standard soviet practice to make a sniper build was to actually field test the rifles and then take the best of the best for fitting to PU mounts...